Maintaining a healthy marriage requires effort because, when you spend every day with someone, it's easy to lose sight of what makes him or her so great. That's why it's important to set aside the stresses of work and child-rearing every once in a while to slow things down and appreciate your spouse. Your schedule might be restricting, but you can work around it if you try.
1. Get ready together
If you and your spouse both work away from home, then there's a big eight-hour block in the middle of the day when you're apart from each other. The time you spend getting ready in the morning is your last chance to hang out before that block. So take advantage of it - sit and eat breakfast, share a pot of coffee and even brush your teeth together.
2. Manage finances jointly
In a lot of marriages, one person provides the most money and the other handles all the logistics involved with paying the bills. But this often causes resentment on both sides: The one managing the finances can feel overburdened with the responsibility to keep the fridge stocked and the lights on, and the one not handling the finances can wish they had more control.
Do it together! Carve a little time out of each day to go over your finances with your spouse - you'll be a closer couple for it.
3. Surprise each other
One of the biggest challenges with marriage is that it's hard to keep things from getting stale. The best solution to this problem is frequent daily surprises.
That's right - a surprise every day. You probably don't have the financial means to jet off to Europe that often, but a smaller surprise will do just fine. Pick up his favorite candy before you head home; have a home-cooked meal ready when she walks in; etc.
4. Express love nightly
You never know if a sudden medical emergency will make any given night your spouse's last.
Even if you're in the middle of a fight, put that aside during the very last moment of the day and express your love and adoration, whether with "I love you" or some other similar phrase you prefer.
5. Turn off electronics
At the end of the day, you just want to unwind and sit in front of the TV. When your spouse is in the mood to do the same, this can indeed be a relaxing and bonding experience.
Just don't overdo it - you should spend a decent amount of each day with all electronics turned off so you and your spouse can just talk. You'll be surprised at how much closer you'll feel after doing this for only a few days.
Follow these healthy habits to make your marriage more enjoyable and everlasting. You won't regret it.
